Oregon’s Mike Pierce (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) already has one Brazilian opponent on his mind in Carlos Eduardo Rocha, but that isn’t stopping him from taking dead aim at another.

Pierce, who’s in South Florida for this week’s UFC on FX 3 event, where he takes on Rocha on the evening’s preliminary card, said he’s spending his spare time trying to track down a local resident.

“I’ve actually been looking for Thiago Alves,” Pierce told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I hit up all the fast-food joints in the area. I know he lives in town, and I haven’t been able to find him.”

The subtle jab, of course, is in reference to the weightcutting struggles that plagued the American Top Team fighter early in his career. Anthony Johnson has since become the posterboy for weightcuts gone wrong, but when “Pitbull” missed weight twice in a four-fight stretch, it was Alves who was told he needed to change divisions.

Pierce isn’t necessarily the first guy you’d expect to bring it with the smacktalk. A blue-collar type that brings a grinding strategy to the cage, Pierce isn’t exactly the brash personality typically associated with boisterous claims. Yet as of late, Pierce has found some joy in ruffling others’ feathers.

First there was the chatter in advance of a meeting with Josh Koscheck. Then, it was a bit of Brazilian bashing in advance of his meeting with Rocha.

Now it seems Pierce may be looking to line up his next fight in advance of his Friday appearance, which takes place at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

In the meantime, Pierce has Rocha standing in his way. The welterweight is hoping to erase the pain of a February loss to Kosheck in which Pierce has the upper-hand early but ultimately slowed over the final 10 minutes and lost a painfully close split decision.

Pierce admits the result is still puzzling.

“I think everybody still thinks about that and wonders why he got his hand raised,” Pierce said. “It’s pretty annoying. I thought I won that fight.

“It was a big shock to me when he got his name called. I thought I won at least two out of the three rounds. I thought it was going to be 29-28 unanimous for me. When they called out the split, I was like, ‘Here we go.'”

Pierce now finds himself in what could potentially be a must-win situation. He’s just 1-2 in his past three fights, and another loss could very well spell the end of his tenure in the UFC. How different things would have been had just one more point gone Pierce’s way – he’d boast a 5-1 stretch and a win over a perennial contender in Koscheck, not to mention the claim that his lone loss in that run was to Johny Hendricks and via split decision.

Alas, it was not to be.

“It just pisses me off and fuels me to do even better the next time around,” Pierce said. “It kind of motivates me. I don’t dwell on it to the point where it becomes a hindrance. … I just think about the fights and that I’ve got to get back in that picture again.”

That journey starts with Rocha, and if you read between the lines, it sounds like Pierce wants it to continue through Alves.

Of course, first he has to find him.

“If you have any leads, let me know,” Pierce said.

Pierce and Rocha meet on the FUEL TV-broadcast preliminary card of Friday’s UFC on FX 3 event. The night’s four-fight main card then airs on FX.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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